E. I. found a location that met the requirements for starting his black powder company. In 1802, he purchased 65 acres along the Brandywine River that already included a dam and mill race to run his water-powered machinery, and he named the site Eleutherian Mills. Eleutherian Mills was just north of Wilmington, a port city with connections to Philadelphia, New York, and the wider world, allowing DuPont to bring raw materials in and ship products out. It was also far enough from the city to reduce the risks of making explosions near a population center. Philadelphia, then the center of American finance, was only a few hours away, giving E. I. access to the capital needed to start and expand his business. Wilmington also had an existing French-speaking community, and the du Ponts benefitted from a sense of shared culture and language in their new home. The Brandywine also offered significant natural resources that E. I. needed for the manufacture of black powder.